Hangzhou motorcycle brand sweeps Red Bull Romaniacs as Chinese rider makes history

Chinese motorcycle manufacturer CFMOTO, based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, dominated the 2026 Red Bull Romaniacs race, with its riders claiming titles in all three competition classes. One Chinese competitor also secured the country's first-ever victory at the prestigious hard enduro event.

Held from July 28 to Aug 1 in Romania's Carpathian Mountains, the five-day race is widely regarded as one of the world's toughest off-road motorcycle competitions. It features more than 600 kilometers of rugged mountain terrain and a finish rate that typically falls below 50 percent.

CFMOTO riders won the Ultimate, Core and Lite classes, marking the brand's best-ever performance at the event. Nearly 40 CFMOTO riders from 15 countries competed this year, with the company's MT series accounting for about 40 percent of the motorcycles on the starting grid.

In the premier Ultimate class, CFMOTO brand ambassador and FIM Hard Enduro World Champion Mario Roman Serrano claimed victory aboard a modified production-spec 450MT, finishing 14 minutes and 40 seconds ahead of his nearest rival.

Chinese rider He Guishu captured the Lite class title, becoming the first Chinese champion in the 23-year history of the Red Bull Romaniacs event.

CFMOTO said all of its race bikes were based on production models specially tuned for competition, reflecting the company's strategy of using elite motorsport to advance product development and off-road technologies.